Poll 2015 Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG Coupe

[tristatez28lt1]

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Pardon me for speaking in jabs, but I’m feeling punchy. The dark and sparkly green S65 AMG Coupe is gorgeous, inside and out. The interior is the finest I’ve ever seen on a production car, full stop. The $1,300 Designo lacquer flowing-lines trim framing the dashboard is stunning. The lines fan out like a comet’s tail, reminiscent of the brightwork on prewar deco cars. Specifically it calls to mind the fender vents of a Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic Coupe. Consider it a must-have option. The unique, curved dash reminds me of a Pagani Huayra. The new baller Benz makes that Italian exotic the possessor of the second-finest interior extant. You like those gorgeous, drilled Burmester speaker grilles? The S65 Coupe is stuffed with them. Every direction you look there’s one more -- above the seatbelt opening, taking up half the door, between the rear seats -- everywhere. The ample, comfy, massaging seats are not only massively adjustable, they’re downright handsome, too. The entire automotive industry had better come and take a gander. No one’s seen anything like the inside of this baby.

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You can probably get a similar interior in a S63 or (God forbid) a S550 Coupe, but that would be like an inside-out Fierroghini. Let’s talk about what makes the S65 AMG so ultra-decadent, up to the $233,525 starting price. Namely, the hand-built 6.0-liter, twin-turbo V-12 that produces 621 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque. Internally known as the M275, this V-12 has been around for more than a decade, but 738 lb-ft of torque is 738 lb-ft of torque. That’s more than any Bentley Continental GT has to offer, though somewhat less than the bananas Mulsanne Speed and its 811 lb-ft of twist. But never mind the cars from Crewe. You know of any other 4,753-pound, RWD coupes that can hit 60 mph in 4.0 seconds flat? I did not think so. Well, OK, the Dodge Challenger Hellcat weighs a few mink stoles less and does so in 3.7 seconds. But the Hellcat doesn’t have a champagne fridge located between the rear seats. The S65 Coupe runs through the quarter-mile in 12.3 seconds at 117.8 mph. It stops from 60 mph in a tidy 106 feet; credit the ridiculous (and optional) carbon-ceramic brakes. It can pull a max lateral acceleration of 0.92 g. Not that it matters to anyone in the world, but this big, beautiful AMG completes our figure-eight course in 24.9 seconds, exactly the same as a Volkswagen Golf R. Pretty slick, if you ask me.

Let’s not overlook Dynamic Curve, part of the tragicomically named Magic Body Control suspension. MBC uses the built-in stereo cameras to look at the road surface ahead and adjust the suspension accordingly. I like to think of MBC as speed-bump delete. Using the same cameras, Dynamic Curve looks at the twists and turns ahead and actively leans the S65 Coupe into a corner. The results, while not exactly magic, are close. The overall sense of suffocating luxury is increased to drowning in it when you smoothly and confidently tackle a convoluted canyon. Think of it as image stabilization for a car. Instead hurling you towards the door, the active body lean pushes your rump into the seat. Moreover, the steering feel suddenly seems glazed. What won’t they think of next?

If you’re wondering, yes, I have some gripes. One is that the heavy doors don’t have little detents in the hinges. So if you’re pointing even slightly uphill and try to get out of the car, the door will try to close against you. Not elegant. Also, the throttle needs to be remapped. We know that when fully opened up, the mighty M275 V-12 is a thoroughbred beast. But the S65 Coupe feels laggy around town. I found myself -- just like in the Mercedes-Maybach S600 -- driving around with the transmission/throttle in Sport mode. Luckily, AMG is wise enough to leave Sport engaged even after you exit the vehicle and then turn the car back on. But really, you shouldn’t have to press anything. Moreover, why are they in any way hiding the fury of the engine? I (ha ha) just paid $252,000 for the car. Let me have all of it! Oh, and while the fridge is cute, it really eats into the trunk space. And why no humidor?

The gripes are minor and shouldn’t be the focus of your feelings about the S65 AMG Coupe. I’m a lucky son of a bitch who gets to drive a sickening amount of AMG products. But aside from the G63 6x6, I’ve never seen so many people stop and freak out over anything from Affalterbach. The big coupe -- especially in this paint color -- stinks of special. It possesses that all-important X-factor, that almost indefinable attribute that separates the S65 AMG Coupe from nearly everything else on the road. If I had the money I would buy it, but this car goes beyond that. The Bentley Continental and Rolls-Royce Wraith are also big, sexy, expensive, luxury coupes with even more impressive badges. But can I honestly claim they’re better cars? Not anymore.

2015 Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG Coupe
BASE PRICE $233,525
PRICE AS TESTED $252,675
VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, RWD, 4-pass, 2-door coupe
ENGINE 6.0L/621-hp/738-lb-ft twin-turbo DOHC 48-valve V-12
TRANSMISSION 7-speed automatic
CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 4,753 lb (53/47%)
WHEELBASE 115.9 in
LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 198.6 x 74.8 x 56.1 in
0-60 MPH 4.0 sec
QUARTER MILE 12.3 sec @ 117.8 mph
BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 106 ft
LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.92 g (avg)
MT FIGURE EIGHT 24.9 sec @ 0.82 g (avg)
EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON 13/21/16 mpg
ENERGY CONS., CITY/HWY 259/160 kW-hrs/100 miles
CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB 1.24 lb/mile

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Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests..._benz_s65_amg_coupe_first_test/#ixzz3UAxSPXEF

 

[tristatez28lt1]

S63 AMG vs S65 AMG (vs. Bentley Continental GT V8S in the middle)

 

[Padi]

S63 engine would do for me, but the fact that you get it 4motion only is a put off (despite being rear biased), so S65 it is.

 

[Rainer271]

Which one? The S65 AMG.
Why? Let's go the whole hog.

 

[Rolf]

I would go for the S63 AMG, its V8 has a more louder brutal sound than the V12, it is probably much lighter on fuel and even faster accelerating, plus its much cheaper! you could buy an S63 AMG and a Corvette for the price of a S65 AMG.

 

[Merc1]

I would go for the S65 only because it is RWD, otherwise it is the S63. That interior though is easily in the top 3 in the world IMO.

M

 

[330CIZHP]

12.0 seconds 1/4 mile is very quick for a 116 mph trap speed. Must have been the ability to put power down off the line efficiently.

S63 AMG vs S65 AMG (vs. Bentley Continental GT V8S in the middle)

 

[Amir1]

The S63 Coupe is about speed, performance, and yes some elegance too. The S65 is all about ellegance and gracefullness. The S65 Coupe will pretty much keep up with the S63 in almost all situations (except at fast accellerations from start since its a RWD only car) but what the S63 does with "Shock and Awe", the S65 does it with a whisper. (Quiet but deadly!) In other words, it does everything with grace and ellegance. Not to mention that it has more features, comes almost fully loaded and is Majestic in every way. Does it come at a premium? You bet! Worth it? Its a personal decision. For me, most definitely yes! (I got to drive the S65 Coupe and it's intoxicating! That V12 in the S65 Coupe is truely magnificent. (Its nice in the S65 sedan too, but it really shines in the coupe)